Finger-pressing: a simple and efficient way to stop chyle leak post neck dissection

Area of Science:

• Surgical Oncology
• Head and Neck Surgery
• Thoracic Surgery

Background:

• Postoperative chyle leak (CL) is a severe complication following neck dissection.
• Current conservative treatments like TPN and octreotide can prolong hospitalization.
• There is a need for efficient and well-tolerated conservative options for managing CL.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a novel
• finger-pressing
• maneuver for treating postoperative chyle leaks (CL).
• To compare the efficacy of the finger-pressing maneuver with traditional pressure dressing methods in CL management.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of six CL patients was treated using the finger-pressing maneuver.
• The maneuver involves continuous thumb pressure on the leakage site for approximately 24 hours.
• Outcomes including drainage output and hospital stay duration were compared to a control group of six patients treated with traditional pressure dressings.

Main Results:

• The finger-pressing maneuver successfully resolved CL in all six patients.
• CL cessation occurred within 24 hours in 5/6 patients; one required 72 hours of pressure.
• Patients treated with finger-pressing had significantly shorter hospital stays (9 days vs. 20 days) compared to the control group.

Conclusions:

• The finger-pressing maneuver is an efficient and well-tolerated treatment for CL post neck dissection.
• This technique demonstrates potential as an effective adjuvant therapy for managing chyle leaks.
• The study highlights a promising conservative approach to reduce treatment duration and hospital stay for CL.